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Back Seat Bingo

Introduction: Back Seat Bingo

Backseat Bingo is a reusable bingo card that you keep in your car. Participants look out the window and try to find the items that they have on their card and they shut the door to the items that they see. After shutting 5 doors in a row someone shouts out BINGO and they are the winner. If you like real Bingo, then I'm sure you will like this version too.

I remember playing this game for quite a few long car rides, after that I can't say I know where the cards went! Nor have I ever seen the cards for sale anywhere. So I decided to make my very own version of them using only cardboard, computer paper, and of course tape. I thought of a few different ways that this game could be created before coming up with the final product, so enjoy!! :)

Step 2: Making the Frame

So the frame of your Back Seat Bingo will be made of cardboard and taped together on 3 of the 4 sides (I left the top side un-taped). The front piece of cardboard will have 25 doors cut into it (What makes them doors is that they are only cut from 3 sides) and they will all be the same size and in a 5 x 5 grid. While the back will not have any alterations done to it.

Cutting the doors:
You can cut the doors however you want, but one of the pictures that I have attached is of an 8.5x 11 sheet of computer paper that has the lay out of the doors that I used in my version. I highly recommend printing out this picture and taping it on your front sheet of cardboard and using your box cutter to cut out 3 of the 4 sides of each door to make a total of all 25 doors. This is the easiest way that I could think of explaining how to do this step. It took me quite a long time to come up with the exact measurement that worked best for me, so feel free to post any questions or comments on the wall.

Attachments

Step 3: Bingo Sheet (Computer Paper)

This is an 8.5x11 sheet of computer paper that will be slid between the two pieces of cardboard, that's why it's necessary for that top sheet of cardboard to be a little smaller and not be taped to the bottom sheet of cardboard.

I have attached a more finished version of the sheet that I used in my sample. Simply print out the PDF that I posted for this step labeled BINGO CARD and voila! You now have a card that can be slid into your cardboard frame.

*** I created this PDF by using a word processor and placing 25 1 inch by 1 inch squares in a grid of 5 by 5. Feel free to try and create your own and add different items to search for in each square.

Remember when sliding your paper card into your cardboard frame to align the doors with the squares. Also start the game by opening all of the doors, except for the middle Free Space.

Attachments

Step 4: Finishing Touches

So by now you should have your two cardboard pieces taped together (one smaller one with 25 doors and one larger one without) and a paper bingo card.

As you can see I colored the front of the game with crayons and I made little tape flaps so that each door can be easily opened. The tape flaps were just a piece of tape where the middle was folded upon itself and the ends were taped to either the front or back of the door. I have attached a bunch of pictures that might be easier to understand.

This game can be played alone with the goal being to get a bingo before the car ride ends, or multiple people can play against each other to see who can get a bingo first. Try playing with different goals such as getting 4 corners, 6 pack, blackout, X, L, or other formations!

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6 Comments

The nice thing about making your own is that you can customize them to your part of the country and/or the interests of your passengers. When my son was in gradeschool I made a set that included all of the trucks and cars he and his friends were interested in, roadkill, glacial erratics (large boulders left behind by retreating glaciers - Mom was studying geology), and "driver lost or has to make a U-Turn", as well as typical animals or buildings one might see.

I like your little doors. We photocopied a half-dozen master cards and passed out crayons or pencils.